Frequently Asked Questions

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What support is available for me as I have a disability?

The University has a dedicated Disability Advice and Guidancet Team which is part of the University’s Student Welfare Advice and Guidance Services. The team is responsible for the co-ordination of support for current and prospective disabled students.

What is classed as a disability?

The Equality Act (2010) defines a disabled person as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Do I have to disclose my disability?

The University of Liverpool positively encourages students/applicants to disclose any disability which may affect them on their course. Disclosing a disability will ensure that the appropriate support or ‘reasonable adjustments’ are put in to place to try to reduce any barriers an individual may face due to their disability or specific learning difficulty.

Some students may feel that they do not wish to disclose their disability; some applicants may feel that they have developed their own coping mechanisms and feel that they do not require any additional support.

Others may feel that by disclosing a disability this may go against their application. If you do have any concerns, please be aware that The University of Liverpool is committed to providing an environment which recognises and values people's differences, capitalises on the strengths that those differences bring to the institution and supports all staff and students in maximising their potential to succeed.

SKILL have also provided further guidance on disclosing your disability.

I am an international Student, what support will be available for me?

If you have a disability, medical condition or specific learning difficulty it is important that you make contact with a Disability Adviser, before you enter the UK. This will allow time to discuss your support needs and possible support options. Relevant medical evidence will be required.

When should I go to Disability Advice and Guidance?

It is important that you visit Disability Advice and Guidance at the earliest opportunity in order that any individual support you may require be put into place for you as soon as possible.

Disability Advice and Guidance offer appointments, which you can make using the contact details on the team's webpages.

What will happen in my appointment with a member of Disability Advice and Guidance and who will I see?

You will meet with a Disability Adviser for an informal discussion about your support requirements. This may be based on support that has worked for you in the past, or support you feel will be beneficial to you now.

If you have a disability or medical condition, you may be asked to provide medical evidence from your G.P. or hospital consultant.

Why have I been asked for further information about my disability?

By providing Disability Advice and Guidance with details of your circumstances and support requirements, it will allow us to arrange the most suitable ‘person centered support’ for you.

Disability Advice and Guidance offers a confidential service, therefore we do not pass on any information to tutors without first obtaining your consent.

What medical evidence do I need to provide?

A letter confirming your disability, the nature of your condition and how it affects you in an educational environment from a medical professional. More information can be found on the Disability Advice and Guidance website under the section Admissions.

I have already started my course. Is it too late to speak to Disability Advice and Guidance?

No. Disability Advice and Guidance can be contacted at any time throughout your course of study. However, by contacting the team as early as possible, this enables any support recommendations to be implemented for you at the earliest opportunity.

What is Disabled Students Allowance(DSA)?

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) are grants to help meet the additional study related costs students can face as a direct result of a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty. They are aimed at helping disabled students to study on an equal basis with other students. DSA is paid for by your funding agency.

How do I apply for Disabled Students Allowance?

You can also download the DfES booklet entitled ‘Bridging the Gap’ from this website.

Alternatively, you can ring 0141 243 3686, or email brailleandlargefonts@slc.ac.uk to request versions of the guide in large print, braille and audio.

You can also contact the appropriate funding body (e.g. Student Finance England/Wales/NI, Student Awards Agency for Scotland, N.H.S) for your prospective course directly, for further information on how Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA) can help you.

Links to webpages for funding bodies throughout the UK are available on our funding webpage.

What is Consent to Share on the DSA1 form?

When you complete your DSA1 form to apply for Disabled Students' Allowances, you will be asked to give 'consent to share'. Consent to share on a DSA1 application form allows information regarding your application for DSA to be shared between Student Finance England/the Student Loans Company, your University, your DSA Needs Assessor and suppliers of equipment.

What is involved in the needs assessment process?

Once your funding body has confirmed you are eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances, they will ask you to undertake an assessment of needs to determine your support.

The assessment of needs report will be completed by a Needs Assessor from an access centre.

If you bring in a copy of your letter, confirming you are eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances, to Student Welfare Advice and Guidance we can arrange for an assessor from an access centre to visit the University for your appointment.

If you are not yet studying at the University of Liverpool, you can arrange an appointment at an access centre close to your home. Please note that you do not have to wait for your place at University to be confirmed before booking an appointment for your assessment. You are advised to book an appointment as soon as your funding body has confirmed that you are eligible for DSA.

Assessments are fairly informal meetings and nothing to be concerned about – they do not entail further testing. You will discuss the effects of your disability or specific learning difficulty with a Needs Assessor, who will suggest strategies to help overcome the impact of the disability on your study.

You may have the opportunity to experiment with different kinds of assistive technology, ranging from ergonomic supports to specialist dyslexia software.

Do I need to bring anything with me to the Needs Assessment?

The assessor should already have a copy of your medical evidence and a letter from your funding body, however it would be useful if you could bring the following information:

Evidence of your disability, i.e. supporting medical evidence such as a letter from a medical consultant, or up to date assessment report.

A letter from your funding body confirming that you are eligible for DSA.

How am I reimbursed for consumables eg. Books, costs from DSA?

Upon completion and with your consent, a copy of your Assessment of Needs (AON) is submitted to your funding body (FB), e.g. Student Finance England.

After consideration of the recommendations made in the AON your FB should write to you outlining the support they have agreed to fund.

This should include instructions for you to follow in order to obtain reimbursement for consumables e.g. books, photocopying etc.

Usually, the FB requests that you submit receipts for any purchases made directly to them.

Following this you should be reimbursed in accordance within the timescales of the funding body.

How do I arrange extra time in exams?

Some students are entitled to support in examinations. This can include extra time, an amanuensis (to write down your answers to exam questions), a separate room, accessible/ ergonomic desk etc.

In order to obtain this support, you will need to contact Disability Advice and Guidance to make an appointment to discuss your individual needs.

You will be asked to bring along evidence of your disability/medical condition/support need.

Please note that the Student Administration and Support Division have strict deadlines for receiving evidence of the need for examination support. You must contact Disability Advice and Guidance as early as possible to make sure that you are in a position to submit appropriate evidence in time to guarantee that this support can be put into place for you.

What do I do if I think I may have dyslexia?

If you suspect you may have a specific learning difficulty, such as Dyslexia, you are advised to come to a drop-in session to discuss the difficulties you are experiencing with a member of the team. Alternatively, you could e-mail the team for advice on disteam@liv.ac.uk.

When should I go to my Disability and Dyslexia Contact?

The role of the DDC is to support the work of Disability Advice and Guidance in communicating information related to individual students’ support needs directly to the students’ academic department.

You can approach the DDC responsible for your academic school/department if you have any questions regarding your support needs.

However, if you have not yet discussed your support with Disability Advice and Guidance, your DDC may encourage you to do this.

I have a disability but do not require support, what do I need to do?

We would still recommend that you come along and speak to a member of Disability Advice and Guidance, to ensure you are aware of the range of support available to you. If you do not want to see an adviser, an email confirming that you do not require additional support should be sent to: disteam@liv.ac.uk.

If at a future date you would like to discuss any potential support requirements, you should contact Disability Advice and Guidance as soon as possible and we will be happy to discuss your needs.

I am trying to register on-line and cannot understand the verbal description of the word I need to replicate in order to activate my account at the username/password stage. What should I do?

This is a known technical problem for those trying to use the audio option to register on line. You should contact the CSD Service Desk to enable your registration to be completed.

How far is the nearest guide dog centre from Liverpool? Is it easy to get there from Liverpool?

The nearest centre is in Knotty Ash, which is a district in Liverpool. This is around 20-25 minutes on public transport from campus. Details can be found here on the Guide Dogs website.

What should I do if I require access to a hearing loop?

How do I get tested for Visual Stress?

For information about Visual Stress, including how to book an assessment at the Vision and Reading Clinic, please see the guidance document on the support section of the Disability Advice & Guidance website.‌